need a little help here, i think i have this figured out, but i am not certain as I dont know a whole lot about preamps...

below is a schematic of what I am trying to do. The hull speaker amp will run off of the front channels. The tower speaker amp will run off of the rear channels so that I can use the fader to regulate the tower speaker volume. The sub amp, of course, will run off of the sub channel.

Here is where it gets a little tricky. I want to run an auxiliary plug for an MP3 player off of the auxiliary inputs as pictured.

My head unit (clarion XMD3, I think) has two sets of PreAmp out puts (front & rear).

My questions are:

1. How do I wire my head unit to the PreAmp when I only have one set of inputs available and two sets of PreAmp outputs (front & rear) to use? 2. Will I be able to use the fader as a “volume control” for the tower? 3. How do you think this will affect the sound of the system? 4. Is there a better way to do this?

I have the same EQ and that is how it is run I also run my MP3 player that way..you use the fader on the EQ for the tower/in boat speakers so that the tower can be blast'in for the rider but the volume in the boat isnt killing the passangers.

I'll add my 2 cents, although there are plenty of people more knowledgeable than me here that can offer better help.

1. How do I wire my head unit to the PreAmp when I only have one set of inputs available and two sets of PreAmp outputs (front & rear) to use? Use the front or rear outputs from your head unit. Doesn't matter. 2. Will I be able to use the fader as a volume control for the tower? No, not the fader on your head unit. Use the fader on the EQ instead, it will fade the tower and boat speakers. You will get no control over the boat speakers individual levels (front/rear, since they will be on the same output channel from your EQ. Adjust your gains well! 3. How do you think this will affect the sound of the system? Should sound great. Like I said above, you might have to play with the interior speaker gains to get a good sound, since some speakers tend to sound louder than others. But the line driver aspects of the EQ will help clean the signal up, and having the subwoofer control is going to be a big bonus. 4. Is there a better way to do this? You could run the other head unit output directly to an amp (front or tower) This would allow you to use the fader on the head unit, and the fader on the EQ. However, you will have to set your crossover points on the amp (if you have them), and you will not get the pre-amp voltage boost that the EQ offers on that direct connection. Is it a better way? I don't know how it will affect the sound overall, it will just give you more "tuning" options.

OK am an amature but I hav had my share of problems.( One of my buds works in a stereo shop and he ends up fixing or telling me whats going on).

I will tell you this, I know, either the XMD 3 has an AUX input to plug into the unit or you can buy a module to make an AUX input through the CNET bypassing all problems that you would have with the EQ that you seem to have.

If you would like more inof email me at reston@phall.org">preston@phall.org. I have no problem explaining the easy way out becasue I know you possiotion on this issue

You have show exactly how my new boat will be done. Just hook the pre-amp to the front outs from the deck. Fading between the tower and boat will be done at the pre-amp. Now you will have two options for aux in, either through the deck or directly to the pre-amp. My XM will be through the deck and my MP3 will be direct to the pre-amp.

TDC, I have been strugling with this as well. If you only plug in the front chanel RCA's wont you lose sound? What do you do with the rear channel? This insecurity has kept from purchasing a line driver or an EQ. Although I want to get one. It just doesn't seem to make since to not plug in all the RCA's from the deck.

You don't HAVE to use ALL the RCA's coming out of the deck. What you are wanting is a signal (L and R) to the preamp. Since this preamp has front/rear/sub outputs you will be gaining a sub level out and retaining the front and rear. And as others have posted you will lose the ability to control front/rear or in-cabin/tower speaker with the Head unit however you can fade with the preamp and gain up to 7 volts of preamp out on this model which will result in a cleaner signal to the amps.

Also... In general do not use the speaker level inputs (which this unit specifically does not have)if you can use RCA's, if you do this you are going backwards.... you are sure to get more distortion and you want to get away from this.

louis no there will not be any sound loss you just dont use the rear channel. i dont use my rear(i have a clarion eq/line driver) at all but if i want to add another amp down the road ill have an open channel to do so. you can also use the front rear fader to control the amount of volume to the front but you dont get any more sound by fading the channel all the way to the front(im using front since it sounds like you wanted to use that channel). to simply answer your question just buy the thing itll work for you great.